I bought a packet of air, came home and saw a few chips inside! Many say this jokingly. In fact, compared to such a big packet of chips, the amount of food inside is so small that such a joke comes out of sadness.

Chips

In the case of food items like biscuits or rice and pulses, the food is packed in packets. But in the case of chips, most of the packet is air. Not just chips, many snacks or light snacks are packed in bulk. Air is inside. The question is, why? More importantly, what is the air inside actually made of?

Most foods do not last long in the open. Various chemical reactions occur in food due to different elements of air, water vapor and ambient temperature. It does not maintain the normal quality of food. In the right environment, bacteria and fungi once dominate the food. As a result, food spoils.

People have done little to save food from spoilage. Humans have looked at food preservation since ancient times. Discovered natural and synthetic ingredients that inhibit bacterial growth in food. In English, these ingredients are called preservatives. Like everything, preservatives have pros and cons. Not all preservatives are harmful to human health.

In keeping with the progress of science, there have been factories manufacturing various packaged food products all over the world. These factories produce packaged food with preservatives and some techniques. These foods stay good in packets for a long time.

The air we see in a packet of chips is not atmospheric air. You may have understood the reason by now. Atmospheric air is not at all suitable for preserving food. So what's inside?

Nitrogen gas is inside. This gas is not harmful to human body. About 78 percent of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas. In other words, we are drowning in a sea of ​​nitrogen. Many things mix with this gas in the atmosphere and food spoils. But if you put a food in pure nitrogen, it will stay better than normal. Because, it helps in maintaining the color, taste, smell and texture of the food. However, food manufacturers do not just call this air nitrogen. Called Slack Fill.

During the manufacture of chips, the oxygen-rich atmospheric air contained in the chips packet is extracted through special equipment. At the same time the airless packet is filled with nitrogen gas. The nitrogen gas-filled packet is then quickly sealed to prevent air from escaping and outside air from entering. It creates a different environment for the food inside. As the environment helps in maintaining the food's color, smell, taste, etc., the food also stays good for a long time.

However, this is not the only reason for filling packets of chips with nitrogen gas. Chips are structurally very fragile. A little pressure makes the powder crumbly. But if the packet is filled with enough air, the external pressure does not fall directly on the chips. Fall on the air inside. As a result, chips do not break during transportation from one place to another. The way the factory is made, it reaches the consumer.

By now I hope you understand why packets of chips are filled with air (actually nitrogen). This often confuses the consumer, but the work is done to keep the quality of the product intact. However, companies often use large packets as there is no specific amount of air in the packet. More air reduces the risk of chips breaking. However, the fear of consumer confusion increases. That's why it's wise to look at the quantity rather than the size of the packet when buying chips or similar foods.